James Gandolfini's close friends and family will pay their respects to the late actor at a private wake in his native New Jersey on Wednesday (26Jun13).

The Sopranos star suffered a fatal heart attack in Rome, Italy last week (19Jun13) and his body was repatriated on Sunday night (23Jun13), ahead of an invitation-only viewing of his body at the Robert Spearing Funeral Home in Park Ridge.

A funeral for the 51 year old will follow in New York on Thursday morning (27Jun13) at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, with Dean James A. Kowalski presiding over the service.

Local city officials are reportedly bracing for a mass outpouring of respect from the actor's fans - up to 10,000 people are expected to line the streets of Manhattan to bid farewell to the star.

According to the New York Daily News, Gandolfini's remains are set to be cremated after the ceremony.